The word synod comes from the Latin "sinŏdus" highly used in ecclesiastical Latin and this in turn derives from the Greek "σύνοδος" which means "meeting", "assembly" or "meeting"; lexically composed by the Greek prefix "σύν" which is equivalent to "meeting" or "joint action", in addition to the root of the Greek voice "οδος" which means "way", "route" or "journey"; the ancient Greeks called the groups or assemblies held in the Delos of the Maritime League synod, later in Greek and Christian Latin it came to mean " the meeting of bishops ". At present, in the same way, the synod refers to ameeting, committee or congress of Catholic bishops and priests in which various matters of a specific territory, church or diocese are deliberated or discussed.
In accordance with what is stipulated by Canon 342 of current Canon Law, the synod of bishops can be described as that assembly or conference that brings together each of the Bishops from different parts of the world, in order to promote or promote the existing union between each of these characters and the Roman Pontiff. This congregation deals with a given very old ecclesial institution that was revived by the Second Vatican Council; the synod of bishops manage to differentiate themselves from the so-called councils since the latter have the capacity to establish dogmas and promulgate, while the former have the purpose of advising the pope on the subject in question.
The institution of the Synod of Bishops was created by Pope Paul VI on September 15, 1965, in order to grant the wishes of priests through a revival of the spirit of conciliation.
Another possible meaning for the word synod lies in the astronomical context to refer to the concurrence or conjunction of two planets found in the same degree of the Ecliptic or trajectory that the Earth describes during its movement around the sun.
